Pneumatic operating clutch device



March 27, 1951 w. J. LEVERIDGE 2,546,365

PNEUMATIC OPERATING CLUTCH DEVICE Filed April 25, 1947 /N l/EN TOR W J, LE l E R/DGE By}. V @LLQ ma)? ATTORNFV Patented Mar. 27, 1951 PNEUMATIC OPERATING CLUTCH DEVICE Walter J. Leveridge, iuckahoe, N. Y., assignor to t i f Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New 1 f York, N. Y., a corporation'of New York Application April 25, 1947, Serial N... 743,978 1 4Claims. 1 This invention relates to pneumatically operated clutch mechanisms.

The metallizing of paper for use in certain types of electric condensers as is well known is effected by apparatusenclosed in a casing from which the air has beenevacuated. Such apparatus, however, requires adjustments which must be effected from the outside of the casing as for controlling the speed of the paper while being wound on and from spools or for'slightly shifting the position of the cruciblecontaining the vaporizing metal. For certain special applications other, internal adjustmentsneed be made during the operation of the metallizing equipment. It is often necessary, however, .to shift the position of these internal parts of the apparatus during th times when not in. operation, as for refilling the crucible. Difficultyand delay arise though in d n a ing the usual types of. direct clutch connections whichare maintained connected both when the apparatus is in operation and when it is not.

The object of the present invention is the provision of a clutch mechanism of the type above referred to which will be simple in construction, and positive in operation while forming an eflicient seal between the inner and outer sides of the casing housing the metallizing apparatus.

A further object is to provide such a clutch mechanism which will automatically engage with the internal member to be moved upon evacuating the casing and will automatically disengage upon restoring the casing to normal atmospheric pressure.

\ In the drawing:

t Fig. 1 is an assembly view shown in perspeclve;

EigfjZ is an end view enlarged showing the clutch secured in position on a support in the form oi a wall of the casing enclosing the metallizing apparatus; and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

According to the construction of the pneumatically operating clutch mechanism of this invention, a bushing I is provided with a circular flange portion II which may be secured air tight as by a plurality of screws 9 to the inner disposed sid of one of the walls I2 of a casing housing; the metallizing apparatus, the bushing I0 being closely fitted into a cylindrical opening l3 forinfed in the wall I2.

Theil ange II is provided with a circular opening M for receiving a rim l5 formed at one end of a bellows l6 and secured to the flange as by 2 r soldering. The opposite end portion of bellows I6 is formed with a rim portion Il fitted over the periphery of a disc member. l8 and secured thereto as by soldering, while a ring [9 of a diameter corresponding to the inside diameter of bushing I0 is secured onto the periphery of rim I! in cooperation. with disc I8 tov serve as a pivotfor a yoke member Y the function of which will be hereinafter described in detail. Thedisc I8 is provided at its center portion with an opening 20 for receiving the cylindrical portion 2i of the yoke member. Y, the latter having one of its arms Yl terminating in the form of a sphere 22, while the arm 'Y2- of the yoke extends normally in concentric relation to the longitudinal axis of the bellows l6, and terminates in the form of a cupshaped portion serving to engage, its complement clutch portion formed with a driven member 23 operatively connecting with the paper metallizing apparatus (not shown) housed in the casing-of which wall l2 forms a part.

In'the operation of the clutch mechanism of theinvention considering the yoke member Y in the non-operated position as shown in Fig. 3, a decrease in the atmospheric pressure into the casing causes the compression of bellows l 6 thereby moving the yoke member Y longitudinally from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position wherein the cup-shaped portion Y2 of this yoke engages with the spherical-shaped portion of driven member 23 of the controlled apparatus in the casing. The driven member 23 may then be operated by imparting cranking movement to the yoke Y from the outside of the casing. The bellows returns the yoke member Y to normal position following the opening of the casing when the atmospheric pressure becomes equal on both sides of the disc in the bushing and the clutch is now ready for a successive operation. When the casing is evacuated and the driven member 23 is engaged by the yoke member Y, the presure differential causes the yoke member Y to bear with considerable force against the driven member 23 and, therefore, against its support or pivot, By selecting the position of the driven member 23 and its distance from the cup-shaped portion Y2 of the yoke this unwanted force against the pivot of the driven member 23 can be reduced considerably.

What is claimed is:

1. A pneumatically operable clutch mechanism for an evacuated enclosure comprising a bushing, a bellows having one of its ends secured to one end of said bushing, a disc member secured to the other end of said bellows, a yoke member 2,54 ,3 5 i' f-j p carried by said disc, a first clutch element at one end of said yoke extending into said enclosure, and a complementary clutch element positioned in said enclosure adjacent said first clutch element but separate therefrom when no pressure difierential exists between the interior of said enclosure and the atmosphere exterior thereto and engaging said first clutch element following an atmospheric pressure difference on the Opposite sides of said disc member.

securing said bushing to one of the walls of a casing, a bellows, said flange element having means for securely receiving one end of said bellows, a disc member having its periphery secured to the opposite end of said bellows, a ring fitted over the periphery of said bellows in concentric relation to said disc to serve as a pivot for said disc, and an operable member carried by said disc having a clutch element formed'at one end there of for engaging a complemental clutch elementupon a pressure diiierence acting on both sides of said disc.

A pneumatically operable clutch mechanism for an evacuated enclosure comprising a disc member, a yoke secured substantially at its middie length to the central portion of said disc, a bellows having one of its end portions secured at the periphery of said disc, a bushing serving as a casing for said bellows having a flange por-' tion, said bellows having its other end portion terminating in the form of a rim, said rim being connected to said bushing, a first clutch element formed at one end of said yoke within said enclosure, and a complementary clutch element pol 2. A pneumatically operable clutch mechanism comprising a bushing having a'fl-ange elementfor casing having a flange portion at one end thereof, a bellows in said cylindrical casing having one end secured to said flange portion to form an air seal therewith, a yoke member having a disc element formed at its middle length portion for connection with the opposite end of said bellow to form an air seal therewith and holding said yoke in concentric relation to the longitudinal axis of said bellows, said bellows permitting the eccentric movement of said yoke, a first clutch element at one end of said yoke extending into said WALTER J. LEVERIDGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent! UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 635,684 Hersch'rnann Maui.- Oct. 24, 1899 1,157,793 Metten 1 Oct. 26, 1915 1,378,118 Jacobson et al May 17, 1921 1,624,348 Mallory A r, 12, 1927 2,046,477 Ohmart 1 July 7, 1936 2,065,834 Swennes. .Dec. 29, 1936 2,107,090 Swennes Feb. 1, 1938 2,177,674 Schweizer Oct. 31', 1939 72,190,326 Benoit Feb. 13, 1940 2,397,207 Sachteleben Mar. 26, 1946 2,403,199 Swope- July 2, 1946 2,417,108 Guibert et a1. flu--- Mar. 11, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 555,879 Great Britain Sept. 10, 1943 

